Duffy with World of Color (not really) and Fireworks (kind of)

"Hey! World of Color in Downtown Disney!"

Actually, it was just one giant fountain. I got this picture for my friend since her camera did not want to take a good picture of it. (As you can see...my camera did not really want to take a good picture of it either...)

And then on the way back to the hotel, we saw fireworks!

This was in March 2015, when they had a very short fireworks show playing...only about 5 minutes! So we only saw it from outside, and that was OK.

Duffy at Big Thunder Mountain Railroad (and I am so blessed!)

We are going to ride the train!!!!!

So we wanted to watch Big Thunder Mountain Railroad during the fireworks show. This was a great idea, because the whole reason we were able to go on this trip was thanks to a contest on the DIS Unplugged Disneyland podcast!

Long story short, you had to submit a Disneyland tip and they'd pick one at random to give 2 nights at the fabulous Grand Californian Hotel, with 2-day parkhoppers.  So I entered, using the tip to ride Big Thunder Mountain during fireworks. 

And they picked my name!!!!!!

So anyway. We actually booked 2 more days at Best Western Stovall's and bought a Halloween party ticket too, to stretch out our visit. But the free hotel and parkhoppers are the reason we went. And I was SUPER excited because I didn't think there would be ANY way I could go to Disneyland in 2012.

Fireworks outside of Big Thunder Mountain Railroad.

Deja Vu, Gingerbread, Fireworks

"I feel like we've been here before," said Tiny Duffy. "A lot."



"Sssh," whispered Tiny Shellie May. "She has an unhealthy love of gingerbread men with mouse ears. But we love her anyway."

"I'm not sure that is a nice thing to say," Tiny Duffy said.

Tiny Shellie May was right, though.

MORE GINGERBREAD!



Then we RUSHED over to Big Thunder Mountain Railroad just in time to do something AMAZING.

Fireworks while riding Big Thunder Mountain Railroad...that just may be my favorite viewing spot!



At least for the Christmas show. Even though I have an unnatural love of gingerbread, I don't think Christmas is about the smell of gingerbread and stuff.



The pictures on the ride itself came out a bit odd. I was so scared I wouldn't get on the ride in time for fireworks but it turned out PERFECTLY!

Fireworks and snow

For viewing fireworks, it wasn't the worst spot. In fact, it was one of my favorite spots...a little girl behind me sang the lyrics to "Silent Night", which was very special.

However, for PHOTOGRAPHING fireworks, it was awful.

For snow, evidently it was a good place. Look at those expressions!

Photographing, not so good, but Tiny Duffy and Tiny Shellie May both enjoyed it. And isn't that what counts?

Also a good place to smell gingerbread! (At some point I ducked in the bakery--not sure if it was this night--and they didn't have any gingerbread Mickeys at all! Pooh Corner is the place to go for that, I guess.)